"Richard Cory" can easily be classif

ied as a "story poem". It has a beginning, middle and ending, all telling the story of its main character Richard Cory. It has four stanzas, each containing four lines with an ABAB rhyme scheme. Robinson's poem follows the daily life of Richard Cory from the point of view of the ordinary, working class town's people. The poem starts off describing Cory as the people see him. They put Cory on a pedestal because he is everything they want to be. They see his gentlemanly attitude, his clean cut, his lack of vanity, and rejection of eminence all as attributes not typical of an ordinary person, but a wealthy, happy person. The people of the town also see his money. Perhaps this is the reason for the pedestal, or perhaps it is the fact that Cory is "admirably schooled on every grace" (10), or perhaps it is all these things. Yet for whatever reason, they saw Richard Cory as the pinnacle of happiness. They lived their meager lives only wishing for that kind of money, that kind of education, that kind of demeanor, and the kind of happiness that all those things would, without a doubt, bestow unto them. Not until the fateful day came when the person they thought was the

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